He must not have hidden his amusement well because her eyes had narrowed in the most adorable, piqued expression. “Laugh away but I just lost all sympathy for you. You’re going down.”

Her comment had found its target. His breath had quickened in response as he’d met her audaciously bold, amber glare.“I never lose.”

She’d leaned closer as if testing something.

He’d sucked his breath in surprise.

Placing a hand on one of his shoulders, she’d stretched up on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Neither do I.” Her hand trailed halfway down his buttoned shirt as she turned away.

He’d stood immobile, watching the seductive sway of her hips as she sauntered over to retrieve her ball. Just before she’d released it, she’d looked over her shoulder at him, catching the guilty shift of his attention from her amazing ass to the sass in those brown eyes. Her wink had almost been his undoing.

His body had surged and craved.

Strike.

Triumphantly, she’d brushed by him, touching him only with her fresh scent. Normally he would have said that he had little preference regarding female perfumes, but that evening he’d discovered the lack of one to be strikingly attractive, sending his thoughts in wild directions-some that had included how the waxed lane would feel beneath their bare skin.

With what could only have been described as a saucy smile, she’d said, “Your turn.”

He’d chosen his next ball at random.

Thrown it without thought.

Barely registered that it had left most of the pins standing.